Anne Farr A customer’s objective is never just to spend money, so leading with your price would be absurd. Their objective is to pick a product or service that best meets their need. Buyers are not allowed to make assumptions when evaluating proposals so check you have told them all the things you need them to know, … Read more..
Using the four stages of competence model (Martin M Broadwell), many people are unaware of the things they know they know (unconsciously competent). This is why it is difficult for them to convey their knowledge to others. When detailing a process in a bid or proposal you should clearly describe all the parts and not … Read more..
Proposal and bid templates are often re-used without much thought being given to their contents. Why not spend a couple of hours critically appraising your standard documents and ask your colleagues to do the same? You can then compare notes and decide which sections to rewrite or update
While some businesses are ‘on hold’ at present, there are many which continue to operate. These firms still have supply chain requirements so opportunities exist to make yourself known to their buyers. An initial personal approach can then be followed-up with a tailored proposal outlining the benefits you can deliver to their company.
Simply being seen as different to others in the market (having a Unique Selling Point) will not win you a contract. To award you the work, clients must believe they are receiving more of what they value from you than from your competitors. As such, bid writers need not worry about differentiation but they should always … Read more..
The executive summary is the most important part of your entire bid, proposal or tender document. It should start with a section describing where the client is now and why things need to change. It should also contain details of your proposed solution, reassurance that you are a capable organisation and information about your win … Read more..
It is sometimes necessary to state the assumptions on which a proposal is being made. A common mistake is to list them in a negative way which may cause the reader to feel short-changed. It is better to use positive phrases such as “all values up to 100 will be covered” rather than “values over … Read more..
Latin abbreviations are not recommended when writing plain English so they should be avoided in bid and tender documents. Instead of writing ‘e.g.’ simply put ‘for example’. If you think you need to use ‘i.e.’ (meaning ‘that is’), perhaps you should have explained yourself more clearly in the first place.
A proposal’s cover letter should be thought of as a mini executive summary. You should avoid merely stating your appreciation for the opportunity to submit an offer or your ability to comply with their requirements. The letter should be upbeat, compelling and include clear guidance about the next steps and/or contact information.
If you have a big document to produce it is helpful to know how much time you will need to complete it. The first step is to collect rough figures about the time it normally takes you to draft, to tailor and to proofread material. You can calculate the number of hours needed by using … Read more..
